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Google Describes Wi-Fi Sniffing In Pending Patent

Posted by timothy on from the and-in-the-alternative-yer-honor dept.

theodp writes "After mistakenly saying that it did not collect Wi-Fi payload data, Google had to reverse itself, saying, 'it's now clear that we have been mistakenly collecting samples of payload data from open (i.e. non-password-protected) Wi-Fi networks.' OK, mistakes happen. But, as Seinfeld might ask, then what's the deal with the pending Google patent that describes capturing wireless data packets by operating a device — which 'may be placed in a vehicle' — in a 'sniffer' or 'monitor' mode and analyzing them on a server? Guess belated kudos are owed to the savvy Slashdot commenter who speculated back in January that the patent-pending technology might be useful inside a Google Street View vehicle. Google faces inquiries into its Wi-Fi packet sniffing practices by German and US authorities."

6 of 134 comments (clear)

  1. Mr Hyde? by symes · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It seems there's one bit of Google that really wants to sniff packets and another side, probably PR, that doesn't want the bad press. At the end of the day they're now just another multinational corporation with potential markets rather than individual customers.

    1. Re:Mr Hyde? by AHuxley · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "harm was done" is a slope many parts of the world do not want to slide down.
      They have strict laws to make sure you do not record people on cameras, voice calls and now data.
      What google did was intercept communications not intended for them and keep the fragments they sucked up.
      They did this around the world, long term and had to set the tech up to do it and keep the data collection going.
      When caught by the press they tried to fake their way out with a local admission and then where forced to tell more of the truth only when exposed further.
      Google missed a request from the German gov to show what data they collected and how it was stored ect.
      That kind of throws "accidental" and "pretty useless" out.
      "Accidental" would be a beta test car in one city, data dump found, turned off and local permission to wifi map requested.
      As for what it is used for, who knows what google sells in bulk beta form to its customers about its consumers (end losers).
      How many external eyes got to scan city maps with MAC, IP and plain text data for keywords?
      From spam to ip misuse to police raids to state task forces and COINTELPRO 2.0 dreams?
      The state sends out spyware/p2p hunt, finds an open MAC and wants to sneak and peak based on googles "bulk" data.
      Wrong family, wrong time, right MAC.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  2. What website is this again? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I am totally unconcerned with Google or anyone else collecting this kind of data. If you don't want anyone to know about your access point then stop broadcasting for hundreds of feet over public property. If you don't want me to decrypt your satellite feeds to get free TV then stop broadcasting it into my receiver on my property.

    1. Re:What website is this again? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I am totally unconcerned with Google or anyone else collecting this kind of data. If you don't want anyone to know about your access point then stop broadcasting for hundreds of feet over public property. If you don't want me to decrypt your satellite feeds to get free TV then stop broadcasting it into my receiver on my property.

      I don't mind that people see me when I go out on the street.

      But at the same time, I don't want Google or any other company to film me, and digitally store every trip I make.

      But following your line of thought, I should reason that if I don't want Google to film me in my own street, then I shouldn't go outside.

  3. Re:Wardriving? by gilesjuk · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why patent it? is that to stop other people doing the same?

    Honestly, Google, Microsoft, IBM, Apple and co, put them on a big ship and sink it. They don't want to compete, they want to lock up very generic ideas and stop everyone else from using them.

  4. Misleading summary? by chrb · · Score: 3, Insightful

    But, as Seinfeld might ask, then what's the deal with the pending Google patent that describes capturing wireless data packets

    The deal is that the patent describes capturing and analysing wireless data packets to extract the IP adress alongside GPS coordinates in order to enhance Google's IP geolocation accuracy. The "mistake" that they owned up to is actually dumping and storing all packets, not just the external IP address. Those are two different things.